Upright vacuum cleaners can include a handle assembly pivotally mounted to a foot assembly for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner across a surface to be cleaned. The foot assembly can include a sole plate that defines a suction nozzle inlet that is fluidly connected to a downstream portion of a working air path. A vacuum hose can be fluidly coupled to the working air path and can include an auxiliary suction inlet, such as a wand inlet defined by a suction wand, for above-the-floor cleaning An air bleed valve in communication with the suction wand can be opened to selectively leak ambient air into the working air stream to decrease the level suction at the suction wand inlet and the airflow through the suction wand. Reducing suction at the wand inlet can enable a user to clean relatively delicate items, such as curtains or other fabrics, without the fabric becoming sucked into the suction opening or to dislodge any debris clogging the suction wand. Typically, the air bleed valve is provided on the wand, and thus has no effect on the level of suction or air flow through the suction nozzle inlet in the foot assembly.
Vacuum cleaners can also employ separation and collections systems, which can include one or more filters upstream and/or downstream from the suction source for filtering the working airflow before it enters the suction source and/or before the working airflow is exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner, into the atmosphere. The filter can include multiple filter layers with different filtration properties, such as progressively smaller pore sizes to filter dust and debris of different sizes out of the working air stream. Correct orientation of the filter assembly with respect to the filter housing is vital to prevent premature filter clogging and to ensure optimal cleaning performance of the vacuum cleaner.